Release Date: 03/03/15
Publisher: Berkley
SYNOPSIS:
National bestselling author Kate Quinn returns with the long-awaited fourth volume in the Empress of Rome series, an unforgettable new tale of the politics, power, and passion that defined ancient Rome.
Elegant, secretive Sabina may be Empress of Rome, but she still stands poised on a knife’s edge. She must keep the peace between two deadly enemies: her husband Hadrian, Rome’s brilliant and sinister Emperor; and battered warrior Vix, who is her first love. But Sabina is guardian of a deadly secret: Vix’s beautiful son Antinous has become the Emperor’s latest obsession.
Empress and Emperor, father and son will spin in a deadly dance of passion, betrayal, conspiracy, and war. As tragedy sends Hadrian spiraling into madness, Vix and Sabina form a last desperate pact to save the Empire. But ultimately, the fate of Rome lies with an untried girl, a spirited redhead who may just be the next Lady of the Eternal City . . .
REVIEW:
I originally came across Katie in a compendium with Ben Kane and for me, it was not only a great experience having so much talent in one book, but allowed me other area’s to get my Historical Fiction fix from, one of which was Katie’s wonderfully crafted tale that turned me on to her writing.
So whilst I hadn’t read any other stories by her I was more than happy to give this book a go as I loved the way that she not only weaved the arc but also brought characters to life in such a way that you couldn’t help but want to see what would unfurl in their lives.
As with her short story, this tale was wonderfully crafted, the prose was sharp, easy to get into and when added to characters that I just couldn’t get enough of alongside an overall arc that just kept me reading all round made this a wonderful experience. A great story and for me, a series that I’ll be checking out from the beginning as soon as time allows.
Release Date: 04/11/14
Publisher: Knight Media
SYNOPSIS:
Pompeii was a lively resort flourishing in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius at the height of the Roman Empire. When Vesuvius erupted in an explosion of flame and ash, the entire town would be destroyed. Some of its citizens died in the chaos, some escaped the mountain's wrath . . . and these are their stories:
A boy loses his innocence in Pompeii's flourishing streets.
An heiress dreads her wedding day, not knowing it will be swallowed by fire.
An ex-legionary stakes his entire future on a gladiator bout destined never to be finished.
A crippled senator welcomes death, until a tomboy on horseback comes to his rescue.
A young mother faces an impossible choice for her unborn child as the ash falls.
A priestess and a whore seek resurrection and redemption as the town is buried.
Six authors bring to life overlapping stories of patricians and slaves, warriors and politicians, villains and heroes who cross each others' path during Pompeii's fiery end. But who will escape, and who will be buried for eternity?
REVIEW:
As a huge fan of Roman Historical fiction, I love it when I get to try new authors alongside firm favourites and for me, this title released by a cohort of talent from within the genre. Whilst I normally wouldn’t read a self pubbed title, when I see firm favourites and friends amongst the group I just have to dive in and see what is on offer, and boy, was this a title that more than took my breath away.
Firstly within this book, the reader is treated to the final days of Pompeii as that is the central theme of the title, it’s thrilling to read the diversity of people that inhabit the town and whilst you know what’s going to occur, it’s fascinating to see how the various characters deal with the disaster. It has great prose, the editing works wonderfully well and when added of course to solid dialogue and believability, you really have to pick this book up. Absolutely cracking.
